Our best modern scholarship, however, draws us to a different image of Anatolia, as a center of an almost endless string of origins. Here, today we see Anatolia as the home of Indo-European languages; of Homeric poetry; of historiography in the person of Herodotus; of Aesop's fables; of the three orders of Greek architecture; of coinage and finance; of philosophy. This excursion visits selected sites which represent various early civilizations all of which influenced the development of Western (our) civilization.

The Aegean coast boasts the beginnings of so much that we consider purely Greek: the lyric, architectural forms and codes, and, of course, the epic. We will see impressive monuments purely Greek like those of the second Athens (Pergamon) and Roman architecture which rivals the city's which gave it the name; places of the early church and an early synagogue. We will learn of the origin of epic and lyric poetry, historiography, natural philosophy, the invention of coinage, city planning, and of medical practice. Medical history was made at Pamukkale and at Pergamon, the latter the home of an ancient hospital you can still visit. The cities of Pamphylia are wondrously preserved and redolent of visits by Antony and Cleopatra and St. Paul. Aesop, Croesus the Rich, and the world's oldest synagogue vie for your attention in Sardis. In the same way, underwater archaeology has made Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus, the home of Herodotus) a place where history is still being made.

As we move to the east, we will encounter both older and more recent layers of human enterprise: the neolithic revolution or synthesis as seen in Catal Huyuk, the impressive testimonies of the Hittite, Seljuk and Ottoman Empires, and of the birth of modern Turkey. Two days in Istanbul (Constantinople) will sum up our experiences and show how these early civilizations have truly influenced Western (our) civilization.

Throughout the course of the program, we will also enjoy breath-taking scenery, the (of course) turquoise sea, the plains, and the mountains; dry, warm weather and hospitable people with an exquisite cuisine.

Program Includes:
* Transatlantic flight from New York to Ismir with return from Istanbul. Add-ons available.
* Accommodations in Deluxe and First Class Hotels.
* All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
* Transportation throughout program, including flight from Ankara to Istanbul.
* Sightseeing tours and excursions as described in itinerary.
* Study Guide.

Directors of the Program

DR. DIETMAR HAGEL is Professor of Classics at QueenÕs University and Head of the Department. Hagel is a well-published scholar and archaeologist who has been Director of Excavations in Greece at Nichoria, Kiapha Thiti, Timari, Thebes, and Megalopolis.

ERSIN SAKMAR, Vice President of Tursem Tours, Inc., is a certified tour guide in Turkey with fifteen years of experience and extensive knowledge of the Classical archaeological sites and the history and art of ancient and modern Turkey.

Registration Deadline: March 30th, 2001.

For Registration Forms, daily itinerary and cost, contact:

The Campanian Society, Inc.
Box 167
Oxford, Ohio 45056
Telephone: (513) 524-4846
Fax: (513) 523-0276
E-mail: campania@one.net

OR
Tursem Tours, Inc.
55 W. 39th Street, Suite 205
New York, NY 10018
Telephone: (800) 223-9169
Fax: (212) 719-3592
E-mail: info@tursemtours.com
Website: http://www.tursemtours.com